I blame the engineers. Why? Because they’re there.
I’ve been trying for a while now to get my Rocketfish Bluetooth dongle to work in Linux so I can pair my phone and Bluetooth headset with my laptop to do useful wireless things. Unfortunately, despite a few claims of “just works” my dongle has yet to register as a Bluetooth device. Currently it registers as a mouse, keyboard and hub. Why? I haven’t a clue, and ye olde Google turns up no help.
The thing works in Windows, mainly because it comes with a CD that has Windows drivers on it. I’m wondering if this is a hardware issue at this point because there are a few other dongle success stories on the Internet with plug-n-play ease after the appropriate Bluetooth packages were installed. I am having no such luck.
Does anyone have a USB Bluetooth dongle I could borrow to see if it’s just a hardware incompatibility? I’d rather not gamble on another device only to encounter the same problem again.
1) Microwaving your old cookies can make them taste like you just pulled them out of the oven. Be careful to not nuke ‘em too long though, or you get goo and/or a burnt mouth.
2) John Williams fans with too much time on their hands can produce some pretty cool stuff.
Ah, the lovely things reddit can bring. XKCD wrote a recent comic that turned out to be a premonition, and then I came across this flash game. It’s a throwback to The Incredible Machine game I used to play back in high school. Enjoy!
Since I’m not in school, my use for a laptop has shrunk to about zero. Carrying a 5 pound computer around in a semi-large to large bag doesn’t really fit my needs. As such, I’ve been looking at the burgeoning netbook/UMPC/MID market. Something lightweight, reasonably small, Linux-based and long battery life are the things I’m interested in. Bonus items would be stuff like GPS and pocketable size (for a MID) or tablet format (netbook). At this point, a few people I know would be screaming, “YOU SHOULD GET AN IPHONE! STEVE JOBS CAN HAVE MY BABIES!” (Okay, the last part might be disingenuous…they might say “manbabies” if they’re not female). There are several reasons why I do not want an iPhone, some have been mentioned by Greg, another being that I’m on a contract with Bell and do not wish to pay the cancellation fees.
The Asus EeePC looked promising, particularly the 901 (please ignore the cheesy posed picture on the website). However, the crappy battery life (3 hours) meant it can’t be an all-day away from a plug device, and a bigger battery means more weight. Tack on a price that doesn’t yield any advantages over a traditional laptop (what happened to the $200 price tag, Asus?) and that falls quickly out of favour.
The Fujitsu U810 has the features I want, along with the tablet format, but the $1400 price tag puts it into “regular laptop” range. Considering there’s no Linux option either and that means this, too, falls into the “do not want” pile.
The Nokia n810 proved intriguing though (apologies for the Flash). GPS, Linux-based, pocketable in a cargo pants pocket and even a slide-out keyboard. I’m not a fan of touchpad typing, as I’ve tried out Bishnu’s iPhone, so the tactile feedback of a slideout keyboard would be pretty good. Price is reasonable; NCIX and DirectBuy both price it sub-$400. Battery life isn’t super awesome, but it’s good enough to be an all-day device. Rumours of a price drop to the $300 range had me holding off on it for now, plus there was some slim possibility of other netbooks like the MSI Wind or the Acer Aspire One that might knock my socks off (they didn’t).
It was then during my regular web browsing that I came across these two puppies, both from Viliv: the S5 and the S7. Details aren’t fully fleshed out yet, as they are scheduled to be available to buy in Q4 2008 and Q1 2009 respectively. Just from specs though, the S5 is pocketable, runs at least 6 hours, can function as a PMP and has Bluetooth/GPS options. Coming in at around 1 pound, it looks pretty sweet. Plus, there are plans to have a cradle with ports for monitor/keyboard/mouse so you can plug in the S5 and it can function like a desktop. The S7 is a 7″ tablet, is under 2 pounds, runs for 10 hours and has Bluetooth/GPS. Both will have Windows XP with possible Vista, and there will be some Linux distro on it (I’m guessing probably Ubuntu Mobile or something Maemo-like). I’m leaning more towards the S5 at the moment, especially if it has GPS. Definitely something on the WANT list and worth keeping up on.
To make this post geeky in the nostalgic way rather than techy, check out this awesome Mario medley…on bassoons. Look for the beatboxing around minute 3.
Because my sense of humour derives from some kind of combination of sarcasm, geek interests and my job as a programmer, I often find myself laughing at the geekiest things ever while others look at me funny. Not that there aren’t other aspects about me that make other people look at me funny, but given the number of geek friends I know, at least I’m not alone. Case in point, this is one of the funniest jokes I’ve heard in a long time.
I kinda want this on a t-shirt now. If you haven’t seen this comic before, it’s called XKCD. In a similar geek vein, any of you who are geeks in any way (or are some kind of science nerd) should watch The Big Bang Theory. It’s geek humour and doesn’t apologize for it. Plus, the theme song is by the Barenaked Ladies.
On another note, another one of my co-workers came up with an awesome quote the other day: “Bacon is like the superhero of meats.” That it is, that it is.
Ever since I started working, I thought it would take a while before I would become “one of the old hands.” Or, in the words of one of my co-workers, a dinosaur. Fresh out of university, first job and you tell me under two years I’d be a project team lead and one of the more experienced guys in the company, I would’ve laughed at you. It’s weird how it crept up on me, not unlike what happened with my involvement in the CSSS. In about a year I went from a guy who helped out a lot to knowing the ins and outs of the executive, most of the constitution, operation of the department and important procedures for student society operations. Mind you, considering I was there 5.5 years, that’s almost 20% of my time there so I guess that isn’t unreasonable.
At work I went from the newbie who built a hockey pool tracking system to a guy who works particularly well with stats and the back end of major projects. I never really liked being singled out in front of a crowd to be congratulated on a job well done. Being the centre of attention is uncomfortable for the most part, which is ironic because I always liked playing in a band at a rocking good concert. Just knowing that your co-workers/peers respect you and want you on their team is good enough for me. Although I do realize that without my manager saying “hey, he did a good job” in a staff meeting, the higher ups wouldn’t have been aware of my accomplishments, and the higher ups are how your career moves along. Life gives you opportunities; it’s when you’re willing to work for them and step out of your comfort zone in that you succeed. Funny thing is, I’m pretty sure I’m still the youngest person at work. Crazy, eh?
In a completely separate vein, I think I’ll be waiting a few months to pick up a DSLR. After taking some advice from the photography nerds I know among friends and co-workers, I’ll wait for the XSi to come out in April and grab an XTi body on sale. I’ll probably get an EF 50 f1.8 lens to start off because it’s a good bang for the buck lens from what I’ve read. I’ll have to do some more research to find a good lens that’ll give me a higher f-stop and a bit of zoom. I don’t expect the weather to cooperate until then to yield any decent pictures anyways. I haven’t geeked out like this in a while, I’d forgotten what it was like.
Random quote of the day: “Welcome to the Armpit Express. Please hold on for maximum safety.” - Bus driver on the 135 during the afternoon rush hour
Canon recently came out with a new DSLR, the EOS 450D (better known as the Rebel XSi). It’s the next generation of the Rebel series which have been pretty good already with the XT and XTi. Now I want it. Street price will be about $799 USD in the States, $899 kit. So probably about $1000 here body? I dunno, most of the photography nerds I know say the body isn’t as important as the lenses; “spend it on glass” as they say. But the sensor on the new 450D looks so awesome, along with the custom menus and spot metering system. What say you, camera nerds? Yeah or nay?
Also, this is…um…interesting? Yeah, let’s go with that.
The tech world was abuzz today because of Steve Jobs’ keynote address at Macworld. I wasn’t nearly as bored compared to last year, when the iPhone was introduced at the keynote, so I wasn’t following along on the live feed. Last year, the hype was the iPhone and how cool it would be. Certainly, it has some neat features, but to be honest, it’s a terrible phone and I’d rather have the non-phone functionality of it with a better battery life. And, you know, without the standard Apple Markup(tm).
This year, the buzz surrounded the rumoured Apple ultraportable. Macbooks are decent and all, but I’d like my next hardware cycle to consist of a desktop and an ultraportable/pocket PC type device. Ultraportable for the Macbook line (dubbed “Macbook Air”) seems nifty, but the end result was less than stellar. The aesthetics and general “gush & awe” features made it look appealing initially (stupidly thin, awesome screen) but the practicality aspect once again took a back seat (13″ screen which is big for an ultraportable, non-solid state for a non-stupid price). It’s also $1800, which is a $400 markup over similar products like the Fujitsu Lifebook series and the Lenovo Thinkpad X61s series, and $1400 includes >1 year warranties for those two. Okay so you made a Macbook thinner. Not exactly the point of being an ultraportable. The Internet was, predictably, awash with MBA news, but I did stumble upon this gem.
I’d like to see something like the eeePC, but with a 9″ or 10″ screen and at least 6 hours battery. Currently, the eeePC stands at 7″ screen (which I suppose I could live with if absolutely necessary) and a 3 hour battery life (this is the killer for me, because an ultraportable is supposed to sacrifice features for weight and battery life). Asus has retracted anything about a 10″ eeePC, but if the 7″ series sells well, rumours are they may come out with the 10″ sometime this year. I’m not looking to spend a large amount on this thing either, because it’s essentially going to be an Internet surfing/very light coding/e-book reading tool. Since I’m not in school anymore, I don’t really mind that my main machine is chained to a desk; when I’m on the go, I’m doing other stuff now, not really working.
I’m willing to wait a few months to get a good ultraportable. In the meantime, anyone have recommendations on the current crop? I’m looking for 6+ hours battery life, ~10″ screen, <$1200 total (taxes, warranty etc), < 3 lbs, no optical drive, SSD preferable but not absolutely necessary, Linux compatibility, good wireless connectivity.
In other areas of technolust, my desire for a DSLR seems to rise and fall. My current camera does a good job for everything except low light conditions. That’s when I’d really like the directional flash and low aperture lenses that come with a DSLR. It hasn’t been very good photo taking weather this winter, aside from the one or two days of fresh snowfall and the odd clear day. I might yet again be browsing for a DSLR sale in the flyers come summertime, when the weather yields some fantastic nature shots.
